Case Study Highlight

Retail Solutions Inc. | Virtual Communications Program

SUMMARY

Working with ON24, RSi created the “Collaboration Forum,” a virtual space for both retailers and CPG executives to come together, access content and share data. A complementary best practices webcast series is produced as well. ON24’s reporting capabilities and integration with Marketo enable RSi to fine-tune its marketing and content strategies on an ongoing basis.

SITUATION

Driving Industry Information Sharing and Best Practices

Retail Solutions Inc. (RSi) is a global provider of big data and predictive analytics for the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) industry. RSi collects and transforms billions of data points about what shoppers buy every day and uses that information to provide actionable insights that drive better tactical and strategic decision-making at the corporate level and in the field.

While RSi wanted to promote collaboration and advance its brand image via a thought leadership forum, the company recognized that targeted retail executives needed an efficient, convenient and affordable solution for accessing best practices content and sharing data.

SOLUTION

A Virtual Forum and Best Practice Webinar Series

RSi selected ON24 to power a new webinar series and virtual forum. The RSi program is designed to promote collaboration between retailers and CPG executives and provide them with easy access to information and resources without having to leave their desks.
RSi created the invitation-only “Collaboration Forum,” a virtual space for retailers and CPG executives. The Forum offers data sharing, best practices content and a virtual “booth” for retailers – all created to address requests from RSi’s retail business development team for a new way to approach key members of the retail community.

Housed in the Collaboration Forum are the ON24-powered best practice webcasts – with a specific content focus on data sharing and collaborative retail processes. They highlight what the most successful retailers today are doing for their collaboration programs and how retailers can create collaborative business processes with suppliers and partners.

RSi is leveraging ON24’s integration with the Marketo platform to enable an instant, one-step registration process for webinars, wherein users can click on an email message and immediately “save a seat” at an RSi webcast. The ON24/Marketo integration not only registers the attendee in the ON24 system, but it also gives the user direct access to the ON24-powered Collaboration Forum, so end users can skip the registration process and get right to the content.

RESULTS

Expanding Reach and Connecting CUSTOMERS AND PARTNERS

By selecting ON24 for global delivery and performance, RSi obtained a world-class webcasting and virtual environment platform that delivers reliable live and on-demand performance. Since implementing the ON24 program, year-over-year gains have been impressive, with an uplift in both registration and attendee conversion rates. The seamless integration between Marketo and ON24 has enhanced RSi’s marketing efforts and overall webinar stats. Current registration conversion rates average 98.12%, and attendee conversion rates average 53%, up from 90% and 45%, respectively.

ON24’s user-friendly reporting automatically delivers analytics on webinar audiences and their engagement level and behaviors. Engagement is up, with audiences staying in the virtual environment for an average of 54 minutes for each hour-long webinar. In addition, audiences are asking 50% more questions.

Anecdotal feedback from retail and CPG executives is highly positive, citing easy access in the virtual environment to RSi’s useful, actionable content. RSi’s marketing team characterizes the information resulting from the Marketo/ON24 integration and post-webcast reporting as “a perfect lead-in for our sales team,” providing sales with additional insight on whether or not a particular lead is qualified.

“We use the ON24 platform to connect our global ecosystem of customers and partners and expand our reach. In addition, virtual communications technology saves RSi time and money. Collaborating through a virtual environment is just much more efficient.”
— Laurie Speaks,Director of Marketing, Retail Solutions Inc.

How RSi Measures Virtual Communications Effectiveness

Objective: Provide a leading-edge content and best practices forum for CPG and retail executives to explore collaborative business processes to edge out the competition, streamline operations, improve customer satisfaction and drive sales.

Strategy: Develop the invitation-only RSi Collaboration Forum and a best practice webcast series, delivered via the ON24 platform, to provide retail and CPG executives with an exclusive place to learn, collaborate and share data.

Results: By leveraging a savvy content strategy to drive attendance and engagement, the Collaboration Forum and webcasts provide RSi with impressive results. ON24’s reliable global delivery means that RSi can advance its brand image and message, while the ON24 platform’s integration with Marketo enables RSi to streamline pre- and post-event marketing activities.